FROZEN TOWER
Level by abbath81
Walkthrough by Treeble
New move:
Ledge jump (upwards): While hanging from a ledge, Roll+Left or Right keys.
As Lara slides into the level, the camera pans around showing the areas surrounding the tower we'll soon be climbing. Once it's finished (you can press the Look key to cut it short), run around the edges of the ground level to retrieve some supplies and a small medipack from the bridge. Two white tigers will attack when you get the shells from beneath the tower, but you'll get an audio hint.
Before we can go up, we must go down. You have a temperature gauge in this level, so don't waste time underwater. First, quickly swim to the bottom of the NW corner to retrieve the LASER SIGHT. Back out of the water until the meter is filled up and then dive in again, this time aiming for a small alcove near the center of the S wall for an underwater lever. This opens a gate on the opposite side and releases a shark, so again get out of the water, take pot shots at the creature and swim through the newly opened passage on the middle level of the NW end.
You'll come across an underwater lever, throw it to raise a block elsewhere and quickly swim upwards before your temperature gauge is depleted. Shoot the ice stalagmite to reveal the REVOLVER and climb the icy handholds for a quick and dry way back. From the roof of this small shack-like structure you can spot the raised block in the distance, but before heading there, equip the Revolver+Laser Sight and shoot the vase just beneath the bridge for some extra ammo.
Run and jump up the slope to that raised block and through the hole in the ceiling just above it. Pull the blue tiled block under the opening above and climb up once more to claim the CROWBAR. Make your way down to the raised block and sprint towards the green brick catwalk on the other side as deadly stalactites fall right behind you. You can trick the final ones by rolling and grabbing the edge, then climbing back up to jump safely to the catwalk.
Move under the bridge and grab the inner edge to shimmy across the crack until you can stand up. You need to land on an opening right beneath you, so hop backwards and tap Action so Lara will reach for the edge, but as you're not holding the button down she won't grab it and will glide into the opening below instead. Grab the next crack and shimmy around the corner, then perform a ledge jump and keep shimmying to the right until you can stand up on the opposite catwalk.
Sprint up the slope and quickly steer left to avoid the rolling boulder. You can climb the wall to a platform just above the original position of the boulder for a few supplies as you are attacked by a snow owl. From the bottom of that same icy ladder, you can grab a crack just below the ledge and shimmy into a small alcove where the UZIS are hidden. Safely climb back and jump to the next platform, and, from there, to the rope.
Swing to the flat clearing high up on the right cliff, dispatch another snow owl and get the ammo in the corner. Take notice of the closed gate protecting a golden cross, then turn around locate a small shootable target behind the trees right above the zipline. Shoot it with the Revolver to open the gate, allowing you to claim not only SECRET #1 but also the SHOTGUN and some more supplies with it. Two more tigers will try to ambush you on your way out.
Make sure you're at full health and, facing the zipline, line up with the snow ledge below and run off the edge. You'll lose about 50% health on this drop. (There might be a safer way to do this, so feel free to post any alternative solutions in our Walkthrough Small Talk thread so this walkthrough can be amended if necessary.) Jump past the pointy stalagmites and then do a running jump from the pointy tip of the edge to a slope, bounce off and grab the edge of the next floor in the tower.
Ignore the wall lever on the right for a moment. After killing the snow owl, hang from the edge to spot a dark crawlspace just below. Let go and grab the highest point of the crack and shimmy so you can crawl in and find SECRET #2. To return, simply shimmy all the way left and do a ledge jump. Run past the fire-blowing statue and spot a crowbar switch on a platform below, activate it to drop a trapdoor nearby. That lever you'd ignored deactivates the flames for a few seconds, so throw it and quickly loop around the stalagmites and climb the ladder to the next floor while the flames are off.
We are now faced with a multiple lever puzzle. If you look at the ceiling, you'll see a string of patterns (in an overly simplified description: circle, chequered tile, octagon, octacon, chequered tile). There are three levers that fit different segments of these patterns, one of them being in reverse: the left lever on the W wall, the right lever on the S wall, and the left lever on the E wall. The exit door opens and a snow owl awaits right outside.
Run around the corner to the left side for a small medipack protected by another snow owl, and notice the closed gate on the cliff. Right now, run all the way to the other end of the tower and use the icy crack to reach the snowy ledge above. The gates on the front face of the tower open as you approach. This is a good time to save your game.
You need to navigate quickly around the break-away tiles to reach a jump switch. You'll drop on a slope and land on another break-away floor, so immediately jump back to the entrance. The gate to the small cave on the N cliff is now open, so hop across and you'll spot the desired artifact in the distance. Shoot the vases around the room for some supplies first, though.
As soon as you take the ELIXIR OF LIFE from its resting place, two very resistant yetis will attack. This is the final encounter of this level, so feel free to throw everything you've got at them and eventually they'll fall down. The dark alcove on the N wall houses a crawlspace, crawl inside and claim SECRET #3.
The exit gates open upon approach (important note: do not save your game while standing close to either of the gates!). Take an angled jump towards the ledge with the zipline and grab it to glide to the end of the level.